Dispenser



May 16, 1950 F. R. CHESTER DISPENSER I 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 1l. 1946 IN V EN TOR.

May 16, 1950 F. R. CHESTER DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 11. 1946 INVENTOR.

Patented May 16, 195() UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSER Frank R.. Chester, Santa Monica, Califl Application September 11, 1946, Serial No.- 696,161

8 Claims.

l This invention deals with packaged flowable goods and particularly concerns the mode of delivering portions of the goods from the package.

Most dispensing containers go no further in their-aims and effects than to somewhat restrict the exit flow of the contents, wherefore at best to merely prevent egress of a larger quantity thereof at one operation of the package than was intended. They make no attempt to predetermine, control or meter the amount of their contents that can be dispensed at one time.

A few propose to meter their contents, but they do not automatically predetermine the quantity to be dispensed nor always feed out the same xed amount. Instead, their use requires a certain degree of skill in estimating the quantity to be metered and in manipulating the container, so that they cannot be accurately classed as metering dispensers, within the present meaning of the phrase. Y

Moreover, their construction is ordinarily of such complexity and the material of which they are composed is so hygroscopic as to cause them rapidly to foul up in their critical regions with portions of the contents. Subsequent dispensings are hence not accurately metered and the dispensing passageways eventually become so clogged as to entirely prevent egress of any portion of the contents.'

Especially is this the case with metering devices which include moving parts, such as checkvalves or other unidirectional iiow controlling means, land most metering dispensers comprise such components. Further,v such moving parts undergo friction and abrasion, whereforetheir service life is of a definitely limited duration.

Most dispensing packages expose the entire contents of the container to the detrimental effects of the air throughout the dispensing and hence are quite unsuitable for such products 'as contain essential oils or other volatiles such as coffee, spices, perfumes and the like.

VThe metering components of such dispensers are usually integral parts of the container wall and hence cannot lbe transferred from an emptied container to a full one with which it is desired to employ a metering device.

The conventional metering device increases the cost of the container to the manufacturer and dis- -tributor of the contained goods without incorpovides a dispensing container which automatically dispenses a predetermined invariable amount of its contents upon each complete manipulation thereof. The manipulation of the container necessitates no skill and the user is not required to make any estimate either as to the time of ilow oi the contents or as to the proper working of the metering device. Thus, no guesswork is required and only the desired amount of container contents is measured and rendered available at each dispensing.

The construction of the metering device, inat least one species, is of maximum simplicity being easily disassembled and its surfaces having contours streamlined in the direction of ilow of the outgoing contents, whereby to minimize fouling and to greatly facilitate cleaning.

The invention further contemplates that a material may be employed for the metering device which is non-hygroscopic, such as an austenitic steel of pyroxylin, wherefore to eliminate adhesion of any particle of the contents thereto, thereby reducing further the possibility of fouling.

The metering device incorporates no moving parts, its construction comprising only a few fixed surfaces and a number of valveless ports. Thereby not only is fouling still further minimized, but since there is nothing that can seize, bind, jam or otherwise become inoperative and no component is subject to its own moving or other friction, the device is endowed with an indefinitely iong service life. In addition the metering device can be easily disassembled for cleaning purposes, a feature necessary for commodities such as coiee, sugar, etc.

The device can be employed with containers of pulverulent solids of any description and Vwith liquids. The essential metering components can be constructed in a number of forms all embodying the same general principle and can loe mounted in or on the container in numerous modes, varying to suit the nature of the container contents.

For employment with volatile or aromatic goods the metering container can be constructed in a substantially air tight Imanner so as to prevent the escape of essential oils and protect the. contents .from exposure to the oxidizing and other deteriorational effects of the air even during dispensing.

The metering device can be constructed separately from the container and provided with integral lid or closure means, enabling it to be transferred from one receptacle to another. The device can thus be applied to such conventional containers as ordinary Mason jars and the like,

top 21 having apertures 28 therein that register with apertures 26.

` A bi-armed closure 28 is pivoted as at 29 to the outer face of the screw-top of lid. Each extremity of this closure is depressed as at 30 to snap into the corresponding aperture 28a to seal the container. A finger grasped lug 3| is provided on the closure to facilitate rotating same.

The invention contemplates that the metering device be constructed of some non-hygroscopic material and finds austenitic steels and pyroxylin suitable for this purpose. These materials do not absorb moisture and hence eliminate caking of the container contents in the metering device. There is thus little likelihood of same becoming fouled or inoperative.

In use, the Icontainer bearing the metering device immobilized at one end is, first, tilted about its transverse axis with the dispenser-end downward. Gravity urges the container contents towards the low side thereof, some entering the then lower one of the inward, or apportioning and segregating, compartments 22 until same is partially lled. The upper one of the compartments 22 of course receives no material at this time.

Thereupon, the container is rotated about its longitudinal axis to, concurrently, gravitationally urge the contents of the first-mentioned one of compartments 22 centerwardly and through the aperture 23 into the onwardly adjacent one of the compartments 24, and to segregate some container contents in the second-said compartment 22.

Rotation of the container in the opposite sense about its longitudinal axis is then effected, and the contents of the said compartment 24 are urged out of compartment 24 and out of the container through apertures 26 and 28, provided the bi-armed closure is in open position. At the same time, the contents of the second-said compartment 22 are gravitationally urged into the outwardly adjacent one of compartments 25, thuscockng, or conditioning the metering device for the next dispensing.

The mid-mounted form depicted in Figures 4-5 dilers somewhat from the form of Figures 1-3 in construction as well as in mode of mounting. Instead of the nested shells of'Figures 1-3 comprising the body, same is constructed of a closed-face parallelepiped 4t annularly anged at its outer periphery and mounted in the' open end of the container to diametrally occupy a longitudinal portion thereof, on which shell 4|! is superimposed an inverted open-faced parallelepiped 4|, annularly anged around its inward periphery. A transverse septum 42 is cooperable with the upper wall of shell lik] and the rounded ends of the shell dene four apertured compartments 43, 43 and 44, 44 constructed as, and for the purposes, expounded in connection with the preceding form. The sealing member 45 here assumes the form of a ring or gasket instead of a circularsheet, but substantially the same type of screw-top 46 and bi-armed closure 41 are employed. f

The manipulation and functioning of this form are the same as with the afore-described embodiment, in essence consisting of a diagonally downward tilting of the dispenser-end of the container, succeeded by rotating the container about its longitudinal axis to effect a metered dispensing through one of the discharge apertures 6 while concurrently conditioning the device for the succeeding dispensation.

The species illustrated in Figures '7-10 essentially comprises an arcuate sheet 48 of non-hygroscopic material, such as stainless steel or pyroxylin disposed longitudinally of the container and adapted to be immobilized in juxtaposition with the open end thereof by means of a screwtop or lid 49 with which it is unitary. A substantially reversely-formed sheet 50 of the same material, longitudinally shorter than the firstsaid sheet, is confrontingly mounted on the inner face o-f the first-said sheet, as by means of clampears 5| in such manner as to dei-lne a hollow shell having an arcuate pocket or cup-like pouch on the inner face of the article which is readily removable for cleaning purposes'. A spout or conduit 52 extend-.s longitudinally between said sheets in contiguity therewith and is ,united along one of its outer longitudinal faces 53 to the first-said sheet, being attached along its opposite face 54 to the second-said sheet, which is suitably concaved into contact with it for this purpose.

The two sheets and the spout together' dene three compartments within the confines of the metering device. Two of them, 55, are identical and one of these is disposed laterally of each free unattached side of the spout. Each of the compartments 55 consists of a portion of the adjacent free side of the spout, aportion of the lid, a portion of the sheet 50 and a portion of the Vs-heet 48, thus constituting a six-sided hollow geometrical `solid with portions of two faces missing. The bottom of each compartment 55 opens downwardly at 56 into the upper lateral regions of a central compartment 51 dened between the sheets 48 and 50 and the lower end of the spout and the broad face and the lateral face of each compartment 55 opens into the interior of the container. The laterally ared lower end of the spout overlies and subtends the entire cross-sectional area of compartment 51. y

A closure 58 may be hinged to the outer end of the spout.

In use, the container is tilted to substantially 45 with the horizontal and a predetermined portion of the contents is apportioned or demarked in the lowered one of the compartments 55, being segregated from the remainder of the contents, as shown in Figure 10. This predetermined portion is encompassed between the lid, the shorter arcuate sheet, the longer one, and one side of the conduit. The container is then rotated about its transverse axis to an upright position, this movement urging the contents of the lled one of the compartments 55 into the central, or trapping and detaining, chamber. Upon inverting the container this metered por: tion is gravitationally urged out of the central chamber into the conduit, and thence out of the container.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a metering dispenser for containers, including: a hollow body adapted to be immobilized longitudinally of the container in the open end thereof, said body in-` cluding surfaces deiining, with the immobilizing means, perfo-rated contents-separating compartments disposed laterally in the upper portion of said body, said body including surfaces deiining a contents-detaining compartment for said separated portions disposed between and below the rst-said compartments; and discharge means extending from juxtaposition to the contentsdetainine ooipdrtrnent, 'to the exterior of the ci1tainer. 2g As 'a new articleof 4'Inanniaic'tllfre` for oo n- Atainfereo d metering dispenser, inoludingt .an or. f et of' 'material adapted to' loe juxtaposed, by itegone end, longitudinally adjacent to tliejin-v ff .tfi Contain?? adllg Ifiis att other' 'end forA immooilizingtne' dispenser inY the container; a substantially rever'srely forlnelh Igi'todlnallyyenorter sheet nieterial eonf "ntj- 'ingly mounted on the firs aid sheet; and ajo 'i duit'iextending longitudinally between' s ldlslieete in o ontignity therewith' and 'denning within the ennes of Said `sheetsand saidinans, a o ofrn` partrrent lying bloviftheuinner Ye 'd ofth con? duit and opening' upwardly and laterally ,to 'eden slid f of .thcondu'it 'thl'eA latter dninga `corn-- pe; 'nient disposed laterally orl h freevei'de th reo; ach such latter config`a`rA lntuopening 'upwardly into thercontain'er Vand downwardly into the rstsaid compartment. Y o o 3. As a new article of manufacture, anletering dispenser f'jor ednteiners, including: a iiollowloody adapted to be immobilized longitudinally, ofthe container in the open end thereof; walls forming Ysaid body and dennlng, with tli'eirnmoloilizin'.; ieans, Ype'rfora't'ed culi-like container contents eenaratfingooni'partrnents 'disposed laterally in the; upper portion of said bodyy'said walls also together `deflfiing aV cl'in'ifents-detain'iiigT compartment for said separated contents portions disposed between andv below said cup-like compta-t In'ents; and discharge means' extending frein juxtaposition to the contentsQdetaining. coin-l` partnie'n't to tlie exterior of the oontdinejnsaid discharge lan's having a laterallyfiared lower portion for overlying and slibte'hidingsi;A` yo an#V tially theentire contents 'of said conttsde`tai`n` ing comndrtrnent. 4. A metering topfclosulje for containr'sfwhich is adapted to protect the undisiiensed container,- contents from contact'lwith th'a'tniospl'e're in all operative' positions of the container', comprising: a hollow elongate body adapted to fit ltl"- nsversely ofthe one' end of th'econtainier; a. pair 'of wails extending respectively longitudinally and tiasversely of the interior of said body andintersect yling to divide the latter into a pair 'f `co'riti'glllblis .compartiments lyin1U diaifnetrally adiacefitI ythe vinner face of said Ibody and a pair of ico'`I;ti gu'olsl coinpartn'lents' lying dia-metrally adjacent', the .outer face of the body, the inner and outer faces tof said body having an aperture at each cli-ama trai end thereof and said longitudinally extend- :ing wall havingV an aperture in its centralregion :adjacent eachside ofosaid transversely extend- Irigwtills thereby t0 establish outwardly directed.. @Qntefits tin-paths. initially siiegoriallydirectee toward the longitudinal axislof: thel container and :Siibs'quentiy ditig'neiiy directed,@wei/Timmie@ :anis and coincidentally establishing similari-hilt reverse, inward flow-paths for the atmosohere directed through saidbody inwardly along, and congruent with, the aforesaid liathsQs'aid contents ilow-paths enabling the' admission ofl poi-.1 tOlsfOf the contents Of the'downvlfadly inclined container into the firstsaid compartments and onto the inner face of said longitudinally extend;A ing wall and onto the inner fafceoisaid outer wall 'of said outer compaitriierits',` thep'ositions of said centrally disposed apertures with' V1esp`e-g5t to said diametrally separated' ap'erture'snd the positions of the lastsad apl'ertufres with respect t9 th oiitif diinetralilialiis foi" that Ctrrespgesie i conibatinerts enabling the accumulation of lo Y V4`f air thereon regardless of the `iaofsition 'o Offfsaid bedr, eine @eine ai@ @ein 'irate ii n ing yan apertureatv eachudiain'etral entren-l ty o thereof; hollow parallelepipedal todi'V similar width and closed sto'its outer face'a's wel to tn'e first sogidldodyae to' eneide, length d toits Qtheriacesbuthaving aV depthsubstantially half that `ofthe1`rstsadjbody andlincludf ing a" vei1tioal-opertitioii VYdisposed niedialiy fof 'fili le th and circurns'cribed' by circiilaijflange', thesfec'ojndSid bO'dybeingneSted in therst said. biod'y'jwitli its partition aligned with Stlie' erst Sfildp'att i011 aidliittit's fleie sulimlbl upon' th`e`"r'st said' 'flali'gev the lower or inner face 0fv tliectirlti Said body hailing. all' apeftil in its leien-tial region laterally; adjacent .trie verTv tical flcllartV` ion 'therethr'oil h and the outer 4fac of. the second saldbo'dy having analertfre atfeaclfl dia'rnetral extremity thereof, `Said l apertures walls' establishing' two'sbstant'ially parallel' 1o"t1' wardly directed oontienteimetenne and metered portion shuntingl and `dispelising paths' thro'll?gh sja'i'l` nested bodiesifand rl"fenovable Ynieahsy ,foin clamping' 'dfl gettonate onen .enditnerfhy to enablerernoval of saidfne'eted bodies .nnitarily from said :container andsearationf of Vthe nested bodesfrom'eah h` so as@l fofeX'Ib-Secvelyslre facevorthein r1 exterior 071" ,each'bodm o all K the interior ser;

Wti'eitby tfo-n faces of thenijarfallelepiiiedal top olos'iireof 'onand tnegsa ey planen Y'Cleansing instrumentality techiieseti use with t fiers of' si o ents metering corr artneiits in Solid eodyf'looetedjddjaeent ene interior ofthe; container' and flow connected to the contai er* contents through the'l inner face `of said bodyf metered portion; onteof compartments in said body integral witlithe niet said" compartments' :and located adjacent'the outer end of said container and now connected in their inner walls. to said` metering compartments andflow connected in their outer walls to the exterior of.y the` container so as to efectlongitndinal discharge ofsaid metered portions outwardly of the con-v tailler andA substantially parallel tothe longitudi-- nal axis of; the container llpondownward tiltinglongitudinal axis alternately in opposite direc-l tions; whereby to enable removal from said container of all said united compartments as a unitary article and to enable insertion of said article in the open top of various diameter containers to constitute it a metering and dispensing top closure therefor.

7. A metering top closure for a container closed by its walls except at the top end thereof, comprising: a hollow parallelepipedal body adapted to diametrally occupy said top end and circumscribed by a flange adapted to be sealed to said end; a wall extending longitudinally of said body from the one end thereof to the opposite end and lying intermediate the outer and inner faces of the body, thereby to divide the interior volume thereof into inwardly and outwardly located longitudinally extending sub-volumes; another wall extending transversely of said body from the outer face to the inner face thereof and dividing said sub-volumes into two pairs of compartments, the compartments in each pair being seriately arranged longitudinally of the container and the pairs being mutually adjacent diametrally of the container; the wall of said body adjacent the containers interior having a contents admitting aperture in each extremity thereof, said intermediate wall having a contents transmitting aperture therein laterally adjacent to said transversely extending wall, and the outer wall of said body having a contents discharging aperture in each extremity thereof, whereby to establish two outwardly directed flow-paths parallel connected at their inner ends to diametrically opposite points of the interior of said container and connected at their outer ends to diametrically opposite points of the end face of said container; said paths respectively leading from the apertures at the respective extremities of the inner face or" said body diagonally inwardly of the adjacent inwardly located compartment to the corresponding aperture in said intermediate Wall at the respective sides of said transversely extending wall, and thence diagonally outwardly of the adjacent outwardly located compartment to the respective apertures in the extremities of the outer wall of said body, said now-paths and said apertured walls thus constituting said inwardly located compartments contents metering chambers disposed closely adjacent to the container contents and effective in inclined positions of the container considerably short of complete vertical inversion of the container to segregate constant amounts of said contents from the container, and to constitute said outwardly located compartments metered portion receiving and dispensing compartments effective upon rotation of the container about its longitudinal axis in alternately opposite directions to direct said metered portions longitudinally outwardly of the container; whereby to enable said serate pairs of compartments to trap the advancing container contents therein and prevent exit thereof from said container in vertically inverted positions thereof and to enable said Seriate compartments in downwardly inclined positions of the container to dispense said metered portions successively from diametrically opposite ends of said body and longitudinally outwardly of the container upon rotation of the container about its longitudinal axis and alternately in opposite directions, so as to obviate the necessity for vertically inverting the container to effect metering and dispensing of its contents.

8. As a new article of manufacture for containers, a metering-dispenser, including: a substantially hollow body adapted to be xedly mounted in the open end of the container; means disposed in said body in juxtaposition to the exiting ov/ path of the container contents and adapted to effect segregation from the contents of a predetermined portion thereof upon downward rotation of the dispenser-end of the container; and means disposed in said body onwardly in said path and communicating with Ythe rst-said means for entrapping said portion therein upon rotation of the container about that axis and in that direction, both referred to the segregated position of said contents-portion, which are adequate to gravitationally urge said portion onwardly from said position, the second-said means having means operatively associated therewith for establishing communication between the contents of the second-said means and the exterior of the container upon rotation of the container about the same axis but in the opposite direction to that aforesaid; said means including surfaces dening a pair of outward iiow paths directed alternately towards and away from the transverse axis of said dispenser, the entrances of said paths being located at the lateral extremities of the dispenser and laterally separated from each other throughout the lengths of said paths, whereby to enable, immediately prior to dispensing, accumulation of metered portions of the container contents across the path oi air attempting to enter said container through the then open dispenser, thereby to prevent exposure of the container contents to the deleterious effects of the air.

FRANK R. CHESTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

